FridayFri, April 3rd Edition Go Back
Today in the World Countries
- Second Republic Day is being celebrated in Guinea
- People born on this day are Aries as their zodiac sign.
Today in History
On this day in 2023
- EVENTS
- NASA announces the four astronauts for 2024 Artemis II lunar mission around the Moon - Christina Hammock Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
- BIRTHS
- Max Etienne, Multimedia Artist, born in Haiti.
- TV SERIES
- Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields is released. The two-part documentary from Lana Wilson about the life and career of Brooke Shields features archival footage and a new interview with Sheilds.
- POLITICS
- Nigel Lawson, British journalist and politician (UK Chancellor 1983-89, reformed tax laws), who died at 91.
On this day in 2022
- EVENTS
- 64th Grammy Awards: Jon Batiste wins Album of the Year, Olivia Rodrigo three awards including Best New Artist, Silk Sonic Best Song "Leave the Door Open".
- Winners at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas included, ‘Leave the Door Open’ by Silk Sonic, Album of the Year went to Jon Batiste for We Are, Olivia Rodrigo won Best New Artist and Best Pop Solo Performance for ‘Drivers License’. Best Rock Performance went to Foo Fighters for ‘Making a Fire’, their ‘Waiting on a War’ won Best Rock Song and they also won Best Rock Album for Medicine at Midnight..
- DEATHS
- June Brown, Soap Opera Actress.
- POLITICS
- Pakistan plunges into constitutional crisis after Prime Minister Imran Khan dissolves parliament and calls for new elections, avoiding a no-confidence vote.
- SPORTS
- Gene Shue, American NBA basketball guard,1954-64,5X All-Star (New York Knicks, Fort Wayne/Detroit Pistons, and 2 other teams), and NBA coach,1966-89,2X Coach of the Year (Baltimore/Washington Bullets, Philadelphia 76ers, and 2 other teams), who died from melanoma at 90.
On this day in 2021
- DEATHS
- Gloria Henry [McEniry], American actress (Dennis the Menace), who died at 98.
- Jill Corey [Norma Jean Speranza], American pop singer (Your Hit Parade), who died at 85.
- Yevgeniy Zagorulko, Russian high jump coach (Andrey Silnov, Yelena Yelesina, Anna Chicherova), who died of COVID-19 pandemic at 78.
On this day in 2020
- EVENTS
- US aircraft carrier captain Brett Crozier cheered off his ship after being fired for a letter demanding more help for his sailors infected with COVID-19 pandemic.
- London's Nightingale hospital opened by Prince Charles (remotely) after nine days with 4,000 beds to treat COVID-19 pandemic patients at the ExCeL Centre.
- DEATHS
- Robert Armstrong [Lord Armstrong of Illminster], British peer and civil servant (Spycatcher trial), who died at 93.
- Tom Dempsey, American NFL kicker (Pro Bowl, First-team All-Pro 1969; New Orleans Saints; longest winning field goal,63 yards), who died of COVID-19 pandemic complications at 73.
- MOVIES: APRIL 3 2020
- Elephant is released. Narrated by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, Disneynature’s Elephant follows African elephant Shani and her spirited son Jomo as their herd make an epic journey hundreds of miles across the vast Kalahari Desert, from the Okavango delta to the Zambezi river, just as countless generations of their ancestors have done before.
- MOVIES: NOT RATED
- Almost Love is released. Does every relationship have an expiration date? Adam and Marklin are about to find out. Their 5-year relationship has gone from a passionate flame to a medium burn, forcing them to reconcile with each other’s shortcomings all while watching their support network crumble around them. Best friend Cammy’s latest beau checks all of her boxes – if you don’t count that he actually lives in a box; Haley’s student is more interested in studying her than for the SATs; and Elizabeth and Damon – the “stable” ones – are on the brink of divorce after 15 years of so-called bliss. But, in this mess, hope springs eternal as they all muddle their way through to try and make life work.
- Clover is released. Two brothers owe money to the wrong guy at the wrong time. While they go on the run trying to pull together the money they become burdened with a teenage girl and hunted by assassins they don't know are following their every move
- Slay the Dragon is released. After the 2008 election, a secretive, well-funded partisan initiative poured money into state legislative races in key swing states to gain control of their redistricting processes and used high-tech analytics to dramatically skew voting maps based on demographic data. The result is one of the greatest electoral manipulations in U.S. history, one that poses a fundamental threat to our democracy and exacerbates the already polarized atmosphere in Congress and state houses across the country. Gerrymandering, the practice of redrawing electoral maps to serve the party in power, has been around for centuries. But in today’s hyperpartisan political environment it has been taken to unprecedented extremes, fueled by the elimination of corporate campaign contribution limits and the availability of vast amounts of personal information. The effects of this insidious strategy have continued to bear fruit through the 2018 midterms. But voters, fed up with cynical efforts to sidestep the will of the majority, have begun fighting back. In one example, a grassroots movement led by a young woman with no political experience gathered hundreds of thousands of signatures to put an anti-gerrymandering initiative on the ballot in Michigan. The new documentary Slay the Dragon shines a light on this timely issue, and follows a handful of citizens’ groups, outraged by what they see as an attack on the core democratic principle that every person’s vote should count equally, as they battle party operatives and an entrenched political establishment to fix a broken system.
- MOVIES: NR
- The Other Lamb is released. For her entire life, the cult she was born into has been all that teenage Selah (Raffey Cassidy) has known. Along with a band of similarly cloistered young women she lives seemingly unstuck in time, cut off from modern society in a remote forest commune presided over by a man called Shepherd (Michiel Huisman), a controlling, messiah-like figure with a frightening dark side. But when her insular world is rocked by a series of nightmarish visions and disturbing revelations, Selah begins to question everything about her existence—including her allegiance to the increasingly dangerous Shepherd. [IFC Midnight]
- MOVIES: TVMA
- Coffee & Kareem is released. While police officer James Coffee (Ed Helms) enjoys his new relationship with Vanessa Manning (Taraji P. Henson), her beloved 12-year-old son Kareem (Terrence Little Gardenhigh) plots their break-up. Attempting to scare away his mom's boyfriend for good, Kareem tries to hire criminal fugitives to take him out but accidentally exposes a secret network of criminal activity, making his family its latest target. To protect Vanessa, Kareem teams up with Coffee - the partner he never wanted - for a dangerous chase across Detroit. [Netflix]
- TV SERIES
- Home Before Dark: Season 1 is released. A young investigative reporter (Brooklyn Prince) moves to her father's (Jim Sturgess) hometown from Brooklyn where she discovers the truth behind a cold case everyone else wanted buried forever in this mystery series inspired by real-life pre-teen investigative journalist Hilde Lysiak.
- Tales From the Loop: Season 1 is released. The sci-fi series based on the art book by Simon Stålenhag focuses on the townspeople who live where The Loop, a machine built by by a group led by Russ (Jonathan Pryce), allows them to experience "impossible"things.
- ALBUMS
- Viscerals was released by Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs. The third full-length release for the British band began recording the album with the songs only about 80% complete.
- Womb was released by Purity Ring. The third full-length release for the Canadian electronic pop duo is their first new album in five years.
- Heaven to a Tortured Mind was released by Yves Tumor. The fourth full-length studio release for Sean Bowie as Yves Tumor was co-produced by Justin Raisen.
- A Billion Heartbeats was released by Mystery Jets. The sixth full-length release for the British indie rock band was inspired by recent protests and produced with Matt Twaites.
- Born Again was released by Ellis. The debut full-length release of Canadian singer-songwriter Linnea Siggelkow was produced by Jake Aron.
- Revel in the Drama was released by Ren Harvieu. The first full-length release in seven years for the British singer-songwriter was written and produced with Romeo Stodart of the Magic Numbers.
- Never Will was released by Ashley McBryde. The second full-length release on Warner Music Nashville for the country artist was produced by Jay Joyce.
- Migration Stories was released by M. Ward. The latest full-length solo release for the singer-songwriter was recorded in Montreal with Arcade Fire's Tim Kingsbury and Richard Reed Parry, and with production from Craig Silvey and Teddy Impakt.
- It Is What It Is was released by Thundercat. The fourth full-length release for the Los Angeles-based artist features guest appearances from and Steve Arrington, Childish Gambino, Louis Cole, Zack Fox, Steve Lacy, Lil B, and Ty Dolla $ign.
- I Feel Alive was released by TOPS. The fourth full-length release for the Canadian pop band led by Jane Penny and David Carriere is its first with Marta Cikojevic.
- If You're Dreaming was released by Anna Burch. The second full-length release for the indie-pop singer-songwriter was produced with Sam Evian.
- I'm Your Empress Of was released by Empress Of. The third full-length release for Lorely Rodriguez as Empress Of was written over two months between tours.
- GAMING: PC
- In Other Waters for PC is released. Play as an Artificial Intelligence guiding a stranded xenobiologist through a beautiful and mysterious alien ocean. A non-violent sci-fi story, enter a world of wonder, fear and vulnerability, unraveling the history and ecology of an impossible planet. What will you discover together?
- Resident Evil 3 for PC is released. Fight your way to freedom from the brink of despair. A series of strange disappearances have been occurring in the American Midwest within a place called Racoon City. A specialist squad of the police force known as S.T.A.R.S. has been investigating the case, and have determined that the pharmaceutical company Umbrella and their biological weapon, the T-Virus, are behind the incidentsthough they've lost several members in the process. Jill Valentine and the other surviving S.T.A.R.S. members try to make this truth known, but find that the police department itself is under Umbrella's sway and their reports are rejected out of hand.However, soon reports of a grisly "cannibal virus"begin to surface, and vicious dogs begin roaming the streets. With the viral plague spreading through the town and to her very doorstep, Jill is determined to survive.However, unbeknownst to Jill, an extremely powerful pursuer has already been dispatched to eliminate her.
- GAMING: SWITCH
- HyperParasite for Switch is released. A dystopian world presents an ambience of dislocation, menace and tough love which is set around World War III. The unseen aggressor marauding and consuming its way through the population is a parasitic organism capable of making hosts of unsuspecting human beings, consuming what’s left of their souls and wreaking unfathomable havoc.
On this day in 2019
- EVENTS
- Brunei brings into force new Sharia laws punishing gay sex and adultery with death by stoning, prompting widespread condemnation.
- San Antonio coach Geg Popovich is ejected after an NBA record low 63 seconds in the Spurs 113-85 loss in Denver; receives 2 technical fouls in a verbal confrontation with a referee.
- DEATHS
- Paul Marconi, Race Car Driver.
- GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
- Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition for PlayStation 4 is released. Lock, Load, & Face the Madness! Get ready for the mind-blowing insanity, as one of four trigger-happy mercenaries, taking out everything that stands in your way. With its addictive action, frantic first person shooter combat, massive arsenal of weaponry, RPG elements and four-player co-op, Borderlands is the breakthrough experience that challenges all the conventions of modern shooters. Borderlands places you in the role of a mercenary on the lawless and desolate planet of Pandora, hell bent on finding a legendary stockpile of powerful alien technology known as The Vault.
- GAMING: SWITCH
- Hob: The Definitive Edition for Switch is released. From the creators of Torchlight and Torchlight II. Traverse and transform the mysterious world of Hob. This vibrant, atmospheric adventure game is set in a stunning and brutal world in disarray. As players delve into the mysteries around them, they discover a planet in peril. Can it be mended, or will the world fall further into chaos? Now with enhanced performance and features, only available on Nintendo Switch in this definitive edition.
- Mechstermination Force for Switch is released. Battle against massive bosses, jump and climb onto them to find their weakspots and blow them to kingdom come in this action packed platforming boss rush, from the creator of the Gunman Clive series. When the MegaMechs have taken control of the world, one small group of brave soldiers are still fighting for humanity's independence. Join them and lead the charge against the mechanical menace.
- The friends of Ringo Ishikawa for Switch is released. Ringo Ishikawa is a gang leader but also a senior in High School, with day-to-day challenges and routines to follow. You have freedom in how you pass each day, and as time progresses a natural story plays out that is inspired by yakuza-delinquent aesthetics. This is a story about gangs, friendships and, most of all, about growing up.You can pick fights with other gangs and master the game’s mechanics, utilising punches, kicks and grapples while levelling up Ringo and his gang members. You can go shopping, hang out at a burger restaurant or café, head to the bar, or even get a job to earn money for food, activities, a TV and other goodies that unlock minigames. On top of that you have classes and homework to consider, as you can strive for top grades or play truant. Above all of this, the story of Ringo Ishikawa plays out for you to experience.With stylish retro-inspired visuals and a varied soundtrack to perfectly fit the mood, The friends of Ringo Ishikawa gives an awesome blend of narrative, action, varied challenges and a Japanese vibe.
- POLITICS
- Ex-Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak goes on trial for the 1MDB corruption scandal in Kuala Lumpur, pleads not guilty.
On this day in 2018
- DEATHS
- David Edgerton, American entrepreneur and founder of Burger King, who died of complications of surgery at 90.
- TV SERIES
- Legion: Season 2 is released. The second season of the drama based on the X-Men comics character sees David meeting Farouk (Said Taghmaoui) face-to-face.
- The Last O.G.: Season 1 is released. Tracy Morgan is an ex-con who returns to Brooklyn after a 15-year sentence to find his ex-girlfriend Shay (Tiffany Haddish) raising their twins (Taylor Mosby & Dante Hoagland) with her white husband (Ryan Gaul) in this comedy created by Morgan, Jordan Peele and John Carcieri.
- GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
- The Adventure Pals for PlayStation 4 is released. Inspired by classic platformers and cartoons, The Adventure Pals sets you and your best friends (a giraffe and a rock) out to save the world and your dad from turning into hotdogs.
- Island Time VR for PlayStation 4 is released. After a journey at sea, you are shipwrecked on a tiny island. Using your wit, ingenuity, and the advice of Carl the Crab, you must find a way to keep yourself from starving and survive.
- Crisis on the Planet of the Apes VR for PlayStation 4 is released. You are an ape with advanced intelligence, captured and held prisoner in a heavily guarded scientific facility as mankind desperately searches for a cure to the Simian Flu, which has wiped out most of humanity. You must climb, jump, and arm yourself to fight your way through the chaos of an apocalyptical world to escape with fellow Apes and return home at the crossroads of two species’ destinies.
- GAMING: SWITCH
- Penny-Punching Princess for Switch is released. Use the money you gather to bribe enemies to fight for you, activate deadly traps with your dough, and when all else fails, smash all that stand against you with your fists! Fight your way from nothing and amass treasures to take on the mighty Dragoloan family and reclaim your kingdom.
- GAMING: XBOX ONE
- Minit for Xbox One is released. Minit is a peculiar little adventure played sixty seconds at a time. Journey outside the comfort of your home to help unusual folk, uncover countless secrets, and overcome dangerous foes, all in hopes of lifting a rather unfortunate curse that ends each day after just one minute. Minit is a collaboration between Kitty Calis, Jan Willem Nijman, Jukio Kallio & Dominik Johann.
On this day in 2017
- EVENTS
- Bomb on St Petersburg metro kills 11,2nd bomb defused.
- DEATHS
- Herb Tillman, Race Car Driver.
- Mike Taylor, Race Car Driver.
- Kishori Amonkar, Indian classical Hindustani singer, who died at 84.
On this day in 2016
- EVENTS
- Panama Papers published - 11.5 million confidential documents from offshore law firm Mossack Fonseca expose widespread illegal activities including fraud, kleptocracy, tax evasion and the violation of international sanctions by the world's elite in the world's largest ever data leak.
- ANA Inspiration Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Lydia Ko of New Zealand wins by 1 from Charley Hull & Chun In-gee for her second major title.
- DEATHS
- Donald "Don" Francks, Canadian actor, singer and musician (Terminal Choice, Finian's Rainbow), who died at 84.
- George Murray, Race Car Driver.
- Erik Bauersfeld, American voice actor (Star Wars'Admiral Ackbar "Its a trap"), who died at 93.
- Joseph Medicine Crow, Native American chief and historian, who died at 102.
- TV SERIES
- Undercover: Season 1 is released. Barrister Maya Cobbina QC (Sophie Okonedo) is approached to become the Director of Public Prosecutions, only to find secrets from her husband's past threaten not only her family but also her 20-year-long appeal of death row inmate Rudy Jones (Dennis Haysbert) in this Peter Moffat drama.
- SPORTS
- ICC Men's Cricket T20 World Cup, Kolkata: West Indies beat England by 4 wickets with 2 balls remaining for their second title; Player of the Series: Indian batsman Virat Kohli (273 runs • 1 wicket).
- ICC Women's Cricket T20 World Cup, Eden Gardens, Kolkata: Hayley Matthews with 66 from 45 balls leads West Indies to 149/2; beat Australia 148/5 by 4 wickets with 2 balls to spare.
On this day in 2015
- DEATHS
- Andrew Porter, British organist, opera director, music critic, and librettist, who died at 86.
- Bob Burns, American drummer (Lynyrd Skynyrd), who died in a car crash at 64.
- Bob [Robert Lewis] Burns, American drummer (Lynyrd Skynyrd), who died in a car crash at 64.
- Sarah Brady, Activist.
- MOVIES: APRIL 3 2015
- Boychoir is released. A rebellious preteen (Garrett Wareing) with a remarkable gift is challenged by a demanding vocal teacher (Dustin Hoffman) at one of the most prestigious music academies in the country as they prepare for the National Championship.
- MOVIES: NOT RATED
- Manos Sucias is released. From the port of Buenaventura, the most dangerous city in Colombia, three men embark on a journey over the dark murky waters of the Pacific. A set of mysterious coordinates is their guide, a fishing net is their cover, and a narco-torpedo filled with 100kg of cocaine is their cargo.
- The Girl Is in Trouble is released. A failed Lower East Side DJ struggling to keep his life together becomes entangled in a murder mystery involving a desperate woman, a missing drug dealer, and the scion of a powerful investment firm.
- The Hand That Feeds is released. At a popular bakery café, residents of New York’s Upper East Side get bagels and coffee served with a smile 24 hours a day. But behind the scenes, undocumented immigrant workers face sub-legal wages, dangerous machinery, and abusive managers who will fire them for calling in sick. Mild-mannered sandwich maker Mahoma López has never been interested in politics, but in January 2012, he convinces a small group of his co-workers to fight back.
- MOVIES: PG13
- Furious 7 is released. After Dominic Toretto and his crew helped take down Owen Shaw, his brother, Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), wants revenge.
- Effie Gray is released. A look at the mysterious relationship between Victorian art critic John Ruskin (Greg Wise) and his teenage bride Effie Gray (Dakota Fanning).
- MOVIES: R
- Cut Bank is released. Dwayne McLaren (Liam Hemsworth) dreams about escaping small town life in Cut Bank, Montana, “the coldest spot in the nation, ” with his vivacious girlfriend Cassandra (Teresa Palmer). When Dwayne witnesses an awful crime, he tries to leverage a bad situation into a scheme to get rich quickly but he finds that fate and an unruly accomplice are working against him. Thrust into the middle of a police investigation spearheaded by the local sheriff (John Malkovich), everything goes from bad to worse in this all-American thriller. [A24]
- Lambert & Stamp is released. Aspiring filmmakers Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert set out to find a subject for their underground movie, one that will reflect the way it feels to be young and dissatisfied in postwar London. This unlikely partnership of two men from vastly different backgrounds was inspired by the burgeoning youth culture of the early 1960s. Lambert and Stamp searched for months and finally found in a band called the High Numbers a rebellious restlessness that was just what they were looking for. Abandoning their plans to make a film, they instead decided to mentor and manage this group, which evolved into the iconic band known as the Who. The result was rock 'n' roll history.
- Last Knights is released. A fallen warrior (Clive Owen) rises against a corrupt and sadistic ruler to avenge his dishonored master (Morgan Freeman).
- 5 to 7 is released. A chance encounter on the streets of Manhattan draws 20-something aspiring writer Brian (Anton Yelchin) into a passionate love affair with a glamorous French woman (Bérénice Marlohe). The catch? She’s married, and can only meet him for hotel room trysts between the hours of 5 and 7. As Brian yearns for more than just two hours a day with the woman of his dreams, he learns hard won lessons about life and love.
- GAMING: XBOX ONE
- Stealth Inc 2: A Game of Clones for Xbox One is released. In Stealth Inc 2, you play the role of a clone escaping a sinister and high-tech testing facility. Stealth Inc 2 tests both your brain and your reflexes over 60 varied levels linked together in a sprawling overworld. Death is never more than a few moments away, but one of the few advantages of being a clone is that death isn't all that permanent. With no loading screens and no lives to worry about, players are encouraged to use their inevitable demise as a learning tool as they navigate lasers, homicidal robots and terrifying bosses in the ultimate hostile work environment.
On this day in 2014
- EVENTS
- Pope Francis canonizes François de Laval, first bishop of Quebec, as a Catholic saint.
- WEDDINGS
- Who's the Boss actor Danny Pintauro at the age of 38 weds partner Wil Tabares in Dana Point, California.
- DEATHS
- Tommy Lynn Sells, American serial killer, executed for murder at 49.
- Ed Spencer, Race Car Driver.
- Freda Kida, American cartoonist, who died at 93.
- GAMING: XBOX ONE
- Call of Duty: Ghosts - Devastation for Xbox One is released. Behemoth - Columbia: Situated on a massive excavation vehicle, Behemoth is a narrow multi-level map, giving players flanking opportunities with danger around every corner. Complete the map’s Field Order and take control of an attack helicopter able to rain down destruction from above with devastating grenade launchers. Ruins - Mexico: A mountaintop Mayan ruin overrun by the jungle, Ruins’ skyline is dominated by an ominous volcano on the brink of eruption. This map blends the verticality of a dominant temple with tight subterranean sections. Unearthed - Classified: Inspired by Dome, the fan-favorite map from Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3, Unearthed drops players in the heart of an alien dig site. This small map asks players to navigate through Cryptid artifacts, a mix of high-tech HAZMAT facilities, scientific equipment and vehicles. Players skilled enough to complete Unearthed’s unique Field Order will be able to unleash three Cryptid alien creatures, delivering an explosive end to their foes. Collision - New York: The mangled remains of cargo ship crashed into a New York bridge, ripe with burnt out vehicles and shipping containers strewn across the deck, this map provides the ideal theatre for close-quarters combat. Unlock the map’s unique Killstreak by completing the Field Order, and use the full arsenal of an A-10 Warthog aircraft to strafe the full length of the map. [Activision]
- POLITICS
- Marie Louise Coleiro Preca is elected President of Malta.